


Cunning Child

by Jadzia7667



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Explicit Language, M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-11-03
Updated: 2005-11-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 01:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10064165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzia7667/pseuds/Jadzia7667
Summary: Severus is totally outclassed in the cunning department.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

Title: Cunning Child  
Rating: G+  
Warnings: mention of Mpreg, unbelievably manipulative child  
Pairing: Snarry  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. They want to be. They should be. They're JKR's, though.

A/N - OK, so I feel bad for torturing Severus so incessantly in the Handle story...here's a lil pick me up to restore all the wounded Snape lovers out there.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why do you hate my father?” 

Tip tilted eyes the color of pine needles stood out in the delicate creamy skinned face that was peering around his office door. Impossibly long lashes fluttered; the barest hint of movement betraying their owner’s nervousness. Long silky fine textured midnight hair rested on the young girl’s shoulders, curling up slightly at the ends. She held the wispy strands back from her high forehead with a green Alice band. 

Severus noted idly that she was already dressed immaculately in her school uniform, despite the early hour. One delicate, long fingered, utterly feminine hand curled around the door frame. The girl was petite, Severus thought, apropos of nothing. For eleven years old and a bit, she was incredibly fine boned and tiny, almost delicate. 

Severus sighed, a harsh sound in the stillness of his office. He didn’t hate her father; far from it. He was not about to discuss his private life with this impudent child. “Miss Potter. I do not hate your father.”

The small face pinkened. The dimpled chin lifted defiantly. The eyes widened. The oddly elegant nose flared slightly; the child was irritated, Severus thought with some amusement. He hid it well. It would not do to wound her dignity.

“Yes, you do. He said so, and Papa never lies.”

Severus’ lips curled derisively. His hands fisted involuntarily in the folds of his robes. The faerie imp girl child advanced into the room. One step. She was not quite as brave as she appeared, then, Severus thought with satisfaction. Perhaps his sneer still had a frightening effect on the students. 

“He doesn’t, does he?” Severus’ voice was soft, with just a slight edge of annoyance. He knew better than to think it would drive the bratling away, but he had to maintain appearances, didn’t he?

“No. He doesn’t. Papa is a good man. Grandpa Albus says so. Uncle Sirius says so. Uncle Remus says so. Aunt ‘Mione says so. Uncle Ron says so. Everyone says so.” The almond shaped eyes were flashing outright anger at him, green sparks that made his heart clench and twist in his chest. The pine needle eyes began to shine with unshed tears. Enough of this, Severus thought with a surge of alarm; he wasn’t equipped to deal with crying daughters in his office.

He held his arms out to the mite. She ran into them, burying her face in his neck, lithe rounded arms winding around his waist. One sob from the small chest and he was completely undone.

“I do not hate your father, Maggie. I promise. Papa and I had a…disagreement…I will go and talk to him. I will apologize. It will be all right.” His long fingered hands, so like hers, rubbed small circles of comfort across her back. He hugged her close, kissed her hair gently. 

“Grown ups disagree sometimes, bratling. It does not mean they stop loving one another. It most certainly does not mean I hate your father.” She pulled back, staring at him. He raised a hand, wiped a tear from her soft cheek.

The well loved voice was shaky with sorrow. “But, Daddy, you and Papa never fight. He spilled his tea this morning. His eyes were all red. You were gone and I didn’t know where you were!” The tiny soprano voice wailed. Severus soothed her as best he could.

“You are correct, little one. Papa and I rarely disagree…when you are able to witness it. I am sorry to have distressed you. I am sorry Papa is upset. We will go, you and I, and talk to him. All right?” Severus peered into the eyes of his beloved child, heart skipping a beat when he saw the shadows of distress leave them. She smiled tentatively at him then, and Severus knew profound relief. Maggie Potter in a sulk was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the bravest of men.

“All right. What did you disagree about, Daddy?” The tiny voice was innocent of guile. Severus heaved another sigh. He did not want to have this conversation with his daughter, but it seemed he wasn’t being given a choice.

“Papa is going to have another baby, bratling. I was…concerned…about his health. Carrying a baby isn’t easy, even for Papa. We argued. I spent the remainder of the evening in my lab.”

“A little brother or sister? Daddy, that’s a good thing. Isn’t it?” Wide green eyes seared his own, searching for answers.

Severus’ voice was heavy. “I suppose so. How do you feel about it?” How could the child understand, at her age, how frightened he was? 

Harry’s first pregnancy, the one that gave them the unbelievably precious Maggie herself, hadn’t been a walk in the park. Harry had been tired and ill for the entire gestation period. It had taken him weeks to recover from the birth process. He was twelve years older now and Severus worried about his husband. It boggled the mind, to voluntarily put oneself through the hell of pregnancy again. Besides, he was used to his adorable brat of a husband and couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. 

Still, Severus knew Harry hadn’t done it on purpose. Magical children were conceived at the whims of Fate. She was an annoying bitch, Severus had found, with a capricious sense of humor. He resigned himself to months of intense worry and stress, while he cared for his husband; to months of sleepless nights, hormonally induced rages, sulks and tears. He supposed he’d live through it; they both would. They’d managed when Maggie was coming, they’d manage now.

Severus smiled faintly. It would be…pleasant…to have a baby in their lives again. Perhaps this one would be a boy, sturdy and strong and addicted to Quidditch; perhaps it would be another girl, delicate and sly, and a fine Potions Mistress in the making. It didn’t matter. As long as their family survived the next seven months intact, as long as Harry recovered and the children were healthy, then Severus would be satisfied. Perhaps even…blissful. It boggled the mind, but it was profound truth, nonetheless.

He took his daughter’s hand in his, and they went off to find Papa, so that Daddy could soothe him and tell him everything would be all right. Maggie smiled brightly, order restored to her world. 

With a well hidden smirk, Maggie thought that it was a good thing she knew how to make her Daddy react. Papa wasn’t nearly as upset as Daddy thought he was, but they still needed to talk. She’d known about this baby business for a week now; she was a smart girl and she heard things. Honestly, parents, she snorted, they thought she was a baby herself. It was time they came out and just told her, so she could help Daddy take care of Papa.

Maggie Potter was her fathers’ child, through and through; a fine mix of Slytherin cunning and Gryffindor bravery. She supposed Daddy would be upset when he figured out that she’d …exaggerated…how Papa was feeling this morning. He wouldn’t stay mad for long, though. She’d smile enchantingly at him and he’d forget to be fearsome.

Skipping down the hall next to her Daddy, she hugged herself. She was going to be a big sister, finally. Whee!


End file.
